The Sentimental Desk

I thought I'd done it this time and finally pushed Bill over the edge with my urge to paint furniture. 

Once he saw the transformation of the kitchen cabinets, he really didn't have much to say when white pieces of furniture started "appearing."

If fact when I moved the old pie safe to the garden room a few weeks ago, he asked me if I painted it that day. 

No, I painted that over a year ago.

I decided if he really didn't notice anymore than I was safe to paint a piece I'd been thinking about painting for a long time. 

When we first got married we attended an auction and purchased an old oak drop front desk. We were so proud of it.

It was cute and we got it for a fairly good deal. 

This piece has been everywhere in our various homes.

This was fabulous when we didn't have room for a big desk or when we needed to a place to stash bills, shot records and the address book.

It just does not function as a modern surface for a computer.
I asked Rebekah if she wanted it. 
She did not.

The boys? No.

This thing has also been used as a bedside table and as an accent piece in a hall but it hasn't been used as a desk in a while. 

It was in the kitchen when I pulled out the cheap builder desk back in '08.

It got moved up to the guest room and

then into Rebekah's room. 
That room already had a drop front desk so her room really isn't a good spot for it.

I couldn't give it away. 

I didn't really like the finish anymore and it was a little beat up after 30 years of shuffling and moving. 

I sat in that spot to talk on the phone until we got rid of our landline about 5 years ago.  

The pie safe is in its new/old home in the garden room and this desk is back in the kitchen. 
I thought I would love it but I didn't.

I painted it while Bill was at work. 

In typical fashion he knew right away I'd been painting. 

In atypical fashion he realized right away what I had done.
(It didn't help that his chair faces the desk during dinner.)
How had he not noticed the pie safe?

"You painted the desk?" 
(crickets)
 Oops!

Maybe this one wasn't going to go over so well. 

"Yes..?"



Guilt, guilt, guilt. 

Today as I was writing this post, I asked him if he was over me painting the desk. 
"What desk?"

He is completely over it and he said, 
"In reality it isn't a very good piece of furniture." 

Then he asked me if I was over the guilt?

"Yes sir!"

 I wanted to love it again and I do.  
I took the back off and papered it with left over beadboard wallpaper. 

I love how painted furniture takes up less visual space and recedes into the room. 
It looked a bit chuncky before.

I used Zinsser primer and Sherwin Williams oil based White Duck paint in a semi gloss finish. 

It took about 3 or 4 days to dry completely since it was humid and overcast. 

Thanks for coming by and reading the long and drawn out justification for painting the desk. 

I'm so glad I am not in trouble for this one. 
Katie   
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Funky Junk Interiors

The Beauty of Stain

The phrases "I've been around the block a few times" and  

"It's not my first time at the rodeo." come to mind when I think about this painted furniture craze. 

Yes, I know, I said craze.

And yes, 

 I have painted my share of furniture in the last two years.

I love, love my painted pieces.  

They were ho hum and I thought they would look cute painted white and they do.

I was late to the party because 

my husband was pretty against painting good wood furniture and 

I watched my parents spend hours refinishing stuff that had been painted. 

Here is the thing.

Stained wood furniture appears to be the step child in the home furnishing world these days. 

I can say step child because I come from a blended family. ;)

Look at that inlaid key hole?

To be Pin-worthy everything has to be painted. 

I was reading a big blog today and the post talked about how some chairs were going to be painted.

 Let me tell you the chairs were gorgeous as they were. 

Drop, dead gorgeous! 

 But, I am sure they will be painted.

 Everything is being painted.

This design style is huge. 

It has been my experience when something is this huge, widespread, popular and "everywhere" that it will go out. 

Not just sort of unpopular - OUT. 

Anybody else remember country blue and mauve?

Well I do and it took forever to get it out of my house.

It was huge. 

It was a craze!

Every since then I have been wary of design aesthetics that are that incredibly popular.

I may have a painted a piece or two but I refuse to go all out, full boar with the trend because it is that- a trend.

Antique Spice Cabinet- My first heirloom.

What happened to appreciating beautiful wood finishes?

The patina that only comes with time, use and age?

Look at the scratches from opening the drawer.

Since when did we stop seeing wood furniture as beautiful?

I get why we would paint stuff that is broken or from the 70's or 80's. It is dated and out of style and it wasn't good furniture to begin with. 

I have seen some blog posts where people are contemplating painting beautiful antiques.

Thankfully a few of been talked out of it. 

This trunk is from the back of an old car or wagon. 

 Haven't we all seen Antique's Roadshow?

We all know what happens to the value once a piece has been refinished.

I admit that sometimes since I have been blogging, I have been a little like a sheep following along with the trend. I realized pretty quickly that a post showcasing a cute white piece received much more traffic than a post about a stained one.

I think we can all see how prevalent the trend is by hopping around looking at different blogs and visiting blog parties. 

The trend may have even started in blogland. 

Here are some things to think about before you wield the paintbrush.

• Is is a family heirloom?
• Is it valuable?
• Is it over 100 years old?
• Is it signed by a famous furniture maker?
• Would my parents have stripped it? (haha)
• If it is a mishmash of finishes, then paint it. 
• If you are trying to blend a mishmash of different furniture styles in one room, painting a piece or two will bring cohesiveness to the room. 
• A stained piece in an all white room adds depth and contrast.
• Ask yourself if it is beautiful as is. 
• Some of the furniture from the 70's, 80's and even from the depression tended to be a lower grade. 
• The economy was prospering in the post war years so that furniture tends to be a better quality.  
• The bottom line is that it is up to your taste and your style, I just hate seeing beauty covered under paint.  

I think I've loved antiques long enough and since "I have been to this dance before", I know that stained furniture will come back into style. I, for one, will be sorry that I won't be able to find any antiques that haven't been painted.

Thoughts?

Have I been banished from blogland? 

Katie